Prevalence of Campylobacter enteritis in children from Yaounde (Cameroon).

A cross sectional study on the prevalence of Campylobacter jejuni/coli and its possible aetiologic role in childhood diarrhoea in Yaounde was undertaken in 272 children presenting with diarrhoea and 157 age matched controls from April 1989 to October 1990. Stool cultures were performed according to standard techniques for Campylobacter jejuni/coli shigella and salmonella species. Rotavirus was detected using a latex agglutination test. Campylobacter jejuni/coli was isolated from 21 (7,7 pc) of 272 patients with diarrhoea and five of 157 (3,2 pc) controls (p > 0.05), all aged zero to four years old. Shigella and salmonella species were cultured from 2,2 pc and 1,1 pc of 272 patients respectively while rotavirus antigen was detected in 19,6 pc of 204 patients. Twenty eight pc of children with Campylobacter enteritis were exposed to chickens while 23,8 regularly drank water from streams which probably were contaminated. Our results indicate a high prevalence of campylobacter enteritis in children living in Yaounde and also suggest that a high rate of carriage of Campylobacter jejuni/coli could exist in children zero to four years without diarrhoeal illness. to four years without diarrhoeal illness.